EU leaders divided over Europe's representative at Ukraine-Russia negotiations

The leaders of the European Union's 27 member states are discussing, at the summit in Dublin, who will represent Europe in potential peace negotiations between Ukraine and Russia. Appointing a representative has become urgent after the United States and Ukraine asked Europe, following Wednesday's talks in Abu Dhabi, to quickly establish an interlocutor.

Estonian Prime Minister Kristen Michal says representation should be provided by European Council President Antonio Costa and the EU's foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas. However, the two names do not enjoy unanimous support, with some countries believing that their firm pro-Ukraine positions could make them unacceptable to the Kremlin.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has asked Europeans to appoint a representative by the end of the month so that they can take part in the continuation of the talks. Europe has long been seeking a place at the negotiations, citing their direct impact on the continent's security.

Among the options under discussion are also Finnish President Alexander Stubb, Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store, as well as a format including France, Germany and the United Kingdom. US envoy Jared Kushner criticized the lack of a joint European decision.